Combination gutter support for greenhouses



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Dec. 1s, -1928.

s. H. HART COMBINATION GUTTERJSUPPORT FOR GREENHOUSES taken through thecenter of the bracket.

y Patented Dec. 18, 1928.

UNITED y STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN E. HART, 0F IRVINGTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO LORD & BURNHAM COM-PANY, 0F IRVINGTON, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.y

, COMBINATION GUTTER SUPPORT FOR GREENHOUSES.

Original application led April 5, 1926, Serial No. 99,688.: Divided andthis application led July 27,

192s. serial No. 295,797.

This invention relates 'generally to greenhouses and more particularlyit relates to improved features of construction which will enable therain water from the main gutter and the water of condensation, withinthe house, to be disposed of.

This is a divisional case divided out from the parent co-pendingapplication filed by ap licant on April 5, 1926, Serial No. 99,688.

ne of the objectsv of this invention is to provide a new and improvedbracket for supporting the main gutter and a supplemental, or dripgutter. The main gutter is the one which carries away the rain water,exterior ofthe house, and the supplemental, or drip gutter, carries awaythe waterr of condensation collected within the greenhouse. t

A further object of this invention is to provide in the combination ofthe main gutter having a. raised concentrating ridge, for preventingover run of the water,` and a supplemental gutter for receiving thewater of condensation, an improved bracket for supporting Vthe maingutter and the supplemental gutter in proper relation and; in

`such manner as to assure the water of confollowing description apreferred form. ofV

theinvention, together with certain lmodified forms, are shown anddescribed for purposes of illustration.v

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view showing a bracket in Y elevation, and the maingutter-and the drip gutter in transverse section. v

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section Figure 3 is an elevationshowing a modified form of the supporting bracket showing a form ofbracket adapted for mounting on a flat surface instead of a circularcol- The drip ly sloping portions 7 and 8 which meet at the center ofthe gutter as shown.

A supplemental, or drip gutter 9, issupportedl below the main gutter inseat 43 of the hollow body of a bracket casing 42 .1 gutter is formed ofa V-shaped `angle bar. y

` Gutter.

The gutter is provided with a projecting ridge, or bead 14 extendinglongitudinally along the outer side of the gutter near the lower portionof the sides 5 and 6. These ridges are very desirable because they serveto spread, or disperse the streams of the water of condensation that aredelivered against the outer surface of the vertical side portions of thegutter from the drip groove 15 formed in the side of the roof `bars 16.

`The water of condensation is at timesrdelivered from the drip groove ofthe roof bars in considerable volume so that unless a means is providedfor spreading the volume of water over a considerable surface there is apossibility that the water will continue in stream-like fashion andinstead of following the under surface of the gutter, it will leave thegutter before finding its' way down to the lower portion vof the gutter.

Preferably a dependent bead or rib 17 is provided at the bottom of thegutter; such a rib serves `to concentrate drip resulting from thecondensationbroughtto and forming on the surface of the main gutter;assuring the dropping of the water in drip gutter below.

It frequently becomes necessary for workmen to walk in the main gutterto clean the same and to remove leaves, twigs, orother obstructions, orto repaint the structure or replace broken glass. It is desirable toprovide in a gutter with sloping sides, such as a V-shaped gutter, meansto prevent the feet of the workmen from slipping. For this purposenon-sli ping or nonskidding ridges 18 areprovide which extendlongitudinally of the glitter on each of the inclined portions of thebottom of the gutter. Preferably, these ridges are not continuous, butare interrupted at intervalsso as to form s )aces 19 in order to Vpermitthe water from the upper portion of the gutter bottom to drain throughto the lowest central portion of the gutter bottom.

Bar clasp.

It is important to provide a suitable means of supporting the roof bar16 in proper Lposition relative to the side of the main gutter. Themeans provided should be so constructed as to permit the water ofcondensation from the drip groove of the roof bar to be disposed of 1nsuitable man ner', and in providing such a construction it is verydesirable to leave a free space at the end of the roof bar to affordcirculation of air. If the end of the roof bar is abutted againstanother surface, the end of the roof bar, at the point at which. thewater is discharged from the drip groove, is kept in a damp, or moistcondition, and is likely kto rot so that the roof bar is weakened at thepoint of support where strength is essential. f

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a bar clasp is provided which eomprisesavertical body web portion 25 which :is secured to the side ofthe gutterby suitable means, such for example as a nut and bolt connection 2G. Abase support 27 projects upwardly and outwardly from a` point adjacentto the lower portion of the vertical body portion 25. The base portionserves as a support for the end of the roof bar. The roof bar may beheld in position upon theJ support 27 by means of a screw 28, or othermeans passing through the base 27 and into the roof bar 16. The sideportions 29 extendbetween the upstanding web portion 25 and the basesupport 27. Preferably, the side portions 29 are cut away as at 30(Figure l) so as to permit circulation of air around the end of the roofbar. In order to permit the water of condensation to pass from the dripgroove 15,

onto the `vertical sides 5 and 6 of the main gutter-,a drain aperture 3lisformed in the clasp. The water passes through the drain aperture ontothe vertical side of the gutter and if the water is in any considerablevolume, :it is spread, or dispersed over a larger surface as the waterpasses over the bead 14, after which the water follows the under side ofthe gutter down to the central concentrating bead 17, from which thewater drops onto the drip gutter 9 below.

There is provided at the upper end of the vertical web portion of theclasp an angularly disposed cap portion 33. The angularly disposed capportion extends beyond both sidesof the vertical web portion 25 so thaton one side 34, it serves as a stop for the end of the roof bar.Preferably, `the roof bar is arranged so that the bar is undercut, as at35, so that the upper portion of the bar 36 overlies the top of theangularly disposed cap portion of the clasp.

This is ay very desirable feature because the water from the top of theroof bar is conduced down to a point so that it is readily carried offto the lnain gutter and a tight leak-proof joint is made at this pointof con ncetion.

A portion of the angular cap extends outwardly and downwardly on theother side of the vertical web portion, and, when in assembled position,overlies the top edge of the gutter. A bead, or lip 37 extendsdownwardly from the end of the cap portion, and also outwardly beyondeach side of the cap portion so as to form stop 38 for the lower end ofthe first run of glass 53. This is a very desirable feature. By thisfeature of construction, the lower run of glass is held securely inposition without the neces sity for the use of the Z-shaped stripheretofore used. A water tight joint is formed between the glass and theupper edge of the sides of the gutter by providing putty 39 in the puttyretaining groove 40 formed in the upper ed e of the glitter sides.

A brac (et is provided for supporting the main gutter and thesupplemental, or drip gutter on column, or posts located at pointsintermediate the ends of the greenhouse. For this purpose a suitablebracket is provided which may be mounted on the top of the supportingcolumn. One preferred form of bracket is illustratedinFigures 1, 2, and6. In these views, the bracket is shown mounted on a cylindrical post47. The lower body portion of the bracket comprises a cylindrical, ortubular portion 42 having a projecting annular rib 46 within the casingwhich serves as a stop against which the top of the post abuts tosupport the bracket. A suitable means may be pro vided for holding thebracket in position, such for example as a set screw 48.- The upperportion of the bracket isprovided with arm portions 44 adapted to form asupport for themain gutter bottom 7, 8.

A suitable means may be provided for holding the gutter in properposition relative to the bracket; for this purpose screws" 54, or othersuitable means may be provided. The drip, or supplemental gutter may besupported below the concentrating drip rib 17 of they main gutter, andfor this purpose a seat 43 preferably corresponding in shape to theangle iron gutter 9 is formed in the bracket casing 42, 42 forming thehollow body. As shown in Figure 2, a V portion is cut away in theinwardly extending rib 46 to accommodate the lower port-ion of the dripgutter. A central recess 52 is formed in the seat of the bracket toreceive the concentrating rib 17 on the bottom of the main gutter. Therecess 52 is of such a size that the rib 17 is preferably spaced fromthe recess when the gutter is mounted in the bracket. This is a verydesirable feature because it prevents the water of condensation whichmay run along the bottom of the concentrating ridge 17 from flowing ontothe sidesvof the bracket and possibly flowing down the post instead offlowing into the drip gutter below. ,The projecting, concentrating ridge17 cooperating with the recess 52 also serves to position or center thegutter relative to the bracket. The water concentrated on theconcentrating rib 17 is, therefore, forced to drop into the drip gutterbelow. By providing a bracket having a body portion which is tubular,having a casing which is hollow or tubular in form, a bracket of maximumstrength and minimum Weight is obtained. The drip gutter is providedwith a support at two points spaced from each other, the spacecorresponding to the distance between the walls of the casing formingthe body portion of the bracket.

A modified form of, bracket is shown in Figures 3 and 4. The bracket asshown in these figures is adaptetd to be mounted on a flat surface 51 ofa structural supporting column. The upper portion of the bracket issubstantially the same as that above described but the lower portion ismodified to provide a flat supporting base 49; the bracket may be heldin position on the Hat web 51 of the column in any suitable manner, suchfor example as by a bolt and it is to be understood that'variousVchanges and modifications may be made bythe mechanics skilled in the artwithout departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as coveredby the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A bracket adapted to support a main gutter having a concentratingbead on the under side thereof and a drip gutter, said bracketcomprising a casing forming a hollow body portion, and a seat for thegutter above the hollow body said seat having a recesstherein spacedfrom the concentrating bead when the gutter is supported in the seat ofthe bracket whereby a passage is formed through the bracket for waterconp centratedon the bead on the gutter bottom,

and a seat formed on opposite sides of thel hollow casing for supportingthe drip gutter below the main gutter.

2. A bracket adapted to support a main gutter having a concentratingbead on the under side thereof andV a drip gutter below said maingutter, said bracket comprising a Y casing forming a hollow body portionand a seat for the gutter above the hollow body, said seat having arecess therein to receive and center the concentrating bead and bespaced therefrom, when the gutter vis sup` ported in the seat of thebracket, and a seat formed on opposite sides of the hollow casing forsupporting the drip gutter below the main gutter. Y

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

, STEPHEN H. HART.

